Oreskes, Conway exposing the Merchants of Doubt

Oreskes, Conway exposing the Merchants of Doubt

Naomi Oreskes, professor of history and science studies at the University of California, San Diego, and Erik Conway, an historian at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab are stumping about these days in support of their excellent new book, Merchants of Doubt.

As you might expect from someone with Oreskes’ exemplary background, Merchants is a painstakingly careful review of the climate change denial campaign. She and Conway have traced the whole, odious action back to the late 1980s and the early work of the George C. Marshall Institute, which they aregue convincingly was ground zero for the denial industry.

Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.

There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.